Almost lost
by Theonewhoseducessnape
Summary: SS/HG and also a bit D/G. Hermione returns to Hogwarts to find out why students dissapear, she is confronted not only with danger but also love....*chapter 2 up now*
1. Prologue

Author`s note: So, finally! My very first try to write a SS/HG fanfic. I hope you`ll enjoy and I`d love to have a lot of reviews so that there`s something that keeps me going. Since english is not my first language I excuse myself right away for the mistakes I might have done and will do. Thanks a lot to LuSa for beta-reading and I recommend to you strongly to read her fic "The heir of ice" which is a Draco/Ginny one but there might be some SS/HG in the later chapters…..

Disclaimer: Hey, it`s kind of strange to write NOT Paramount, cause up to now I only wrote Star Trek Fanfic, so this is new. Of course everything belongs to the wonderful J.K. Rowling and though I hope the characters are not too much OOC, it`s all my imagination!!!

Almost lost

By TheonewhoseducesSnape

Prologue:

****

Once again the pain began to rise in his chest, but he did not feel it any longer. Though he could remember a time where it still had hurt…he longed to have that time back. He lay there on his back, very far from being comfortable. Always the sarcastic one, aren`t you? He smirked although there was really nothing which one would consider amusing… no, it was far away from that. The Smirk only caused that the dark lord was getting even more angry with him and once again Snape could here the all too familiar word "Crutio!". At times he thought that the curse was made especially for him as a punishment. A punishment for all the mistakes he had made in his life and while there where several ones there was only one he could never forgive to himself. Letting her die, for she was all the hope that was left in him. Now she was gone. Life was meaningless and it would never make sense again without her. Coming to this relization he closed his eyes and then the unbelievable thing happen. There was a tear, one single tear , escaping out of those incredible dark eyes, dark eyes who once were so special to her.It was roling down his face and suddenly dissapeared and the moment was gone as fast as it came. _It is too late!_ A voice within him whispered, this won` t bring her back to life either. In a short moment he started to reflect on his past. No, there really wasn`t anything he could be proud of, only maybe the thing that he had had the chance to love this woman, though he was not worth it one second. He ruined her. If it wasn`t for him she would have been married by now, probably to this Weasley boy. What did he care for? But there it was the slight mistake, he did care. With her it was different than with his brief relationships before. Infact it was only a small difference, but that made all the world: He loved her. Oh yes, Severus Snape, the cruel, unscrupulous, sarcastic, former Death Eater….he could go on like this forever but it would not make any difference, he had loved her. And he still did. Gosh, he would love her forever. He could not forgive himself for letting himself love her and moreover be loved in return. 

Suddenly he could see her, there she was running towards him. Great, now he even has started to halluzinate. A sudden darkness embraced him and then there was nothing. Absolutly nothing.


	2. Trustworthy beginnings?

**Author`s note: **There we go, the first chapter!!! I really did not know up to now if I can really do it, but here it goes. I hope you like it. It is dedicated to my Beta-reader LuSa, not only because she reads all the crazy stuff I write. No, because now a person she really loves enters the scene: Draco Malfoy! Oh and by the way, what I wanted to add, did I tell you how awesome Alan Rickman looks when he is playing an Angel. I urge you to watch Dogma. Don`t miss that one, he is soooo cute! ( I know I am crazy*g*) 

**Disclaimer: **Guess what? Yeah you`re right, it`s J.K.R !!!! 

Chapter 1: **Trustworthy beginnings??? **

It was dark outside. He loved the darkness, he feeled comfortable and unobserved in it. There where no questions, only silence. He could almost see the questioning glances of his collegues, students or whomever else. What did they know? His face hardened while thinking of it. Infact he has been alone ever since he could remember. Even during his childhood he has always been regarded as an outcast which strangely did not matter to him though everybody thought that was why he had joined the dark forces in the first place. It was so easy to refer to ones past….but things are never that simple. A discovery Severus Snape, potion master of Hogwarts, had already made several times. He observed a raven who was sitting on a tree not far away. Somehow he was like that bird, dark and alone, but there was one thing why he envied the raven: He was free, something he would never accomplish. Not now or ever in his whole life. 

The sunlight came through her window and enlightened her face. No, she would not consider herself beautiful, but people who get to know her really know that there is something about her. Something which makes her special. On the surface she is the ambitious, wise woman, but there was more. Those who limited her to her brains did not know her really and she realized that there were far too many who did so. *breath* She told herself and with that she inhaled the smells of a new day that has just begun. Suddenly she felt all overwhelmed and lost herself in this moment when she finally noticed that it was already half past seven. Time, she told herself, runs by far too fast. Already in her schoolyears when she had a time turner for a short while, Hermione Granger had the feeling that she had not enough of it. Not enough time….. 

"Late Granger?" Hermione stopped at an instance. Could that be? Oh no, she told herself, this can`t be Draco Malfoy, sitting there in front of her office, staring at her. She pulled herself together. " I don`t know if that is any of your business Mr Malfoy but since you delight me with you presence, pray tell me why you`re here and then get the hell out of here" Wow!! He thought, that was not the girl he remembered from his school days. Well, she always had been the shadow of Potter and Weasley, that`s why he never really had noticed her at all. Maybe he had to evaluate his opinion of her….maybe she wasn`t that kind of a Griffindor-know-it-all anylonger. No, he told himself, she will always stay Griffindor, but……there was a little but which he could not yet pronounce and he was glad for it. This crazy thinking began to scare the hell out of him. "Well, I thought you wanted to know any news about the fate of Virginia Weasley, but since you seem to be rather busy, I won`t …" "Ginny? What do you know?" Suddenly all her bad feelings about Draco Malfoy vanished in an instance. Ginny was missing since Christmas, now it was early May and while the search for her has not stopped yet, nearly nobody thought she was still living. There were rumors that she had been captured by Death Eaters and that they had tortured her, raped her, she did not even want to think about it. The last months she had spent on research with Harry and Ron, who where Aurors by now. Harry has never been the same again since her mysterious dissapearence. Somehow he thought that it was all is fault because he broke up with her only an hour before no one has ever seen her again. Hermione was quite sure that that was not the case and that Ginny has been captured by the dark forces only could she not guess why. Why for heaven sake Virginia Weasley? She did almost forget that she was still standing in front of her office and that Draco Malfoy still glared at her. "I think it might be more appropriate if we can discuss that in your office." He sneered. She was catched totally off-guard. "Of-co-course. Please, would you come in". Hell, she was behaving friendly towards that Malfoy git, she wondered what has happened that made her so, so, so, …..she could not find a word for it. Nevermind, now she was sitting here in her office opposite to Draco Malfoy, who`s father is a Death Eater after all. Could she trust him? 

"Ten points from Griffindor" He did not know how often the halls from Hogwarts have heard him say these words, not that it did matter to him anyway. This night was, compared to some he had endured in his past, rather quiet. A couple of Griffindors out at night was nothing unusual after all. He just came from the headmaster`s office who brought him the news that Albus did not want him to spy anylonger, or if he insisted then he must accept some help in potions.He hated it. All he wanted was to be left alone, so that he could do his job. After all it was not only for his sake but also for their sake he grumbled while he stroled down to the dungeons. If it was not for Albus he would never have accepted to such an offer. Now all he hoped was that the person he had to work with was someone who did NOT insist on his company. But,he thought who would want the company of a greasy old git like he was. He reflected on that one while he strode through the dungeons. As he came to his chambers he came to a conclusion: Absolutley no one. And with that he closed the door to his chambers and to his heart behind him.

**Dragonfly: **Thank you very much, hope you liked the sequel!!! 

**LuSa:** Thx a lot. Yeah, we must talk about the co-pro very soon. Oh, and tell me, what you think about Draco, after all, you`re the expert!*g* 


	3. Facing demons

**Author`s note: **Yes, I know it`s been a long time (getting from there to here *lol*), but I needed the time to decide which way this story will go. I hope you will like it. Please review a lot!!! Oh yes, the story is to be considered AU, since I started before I have read OotP. Nevertheless I try to stay true to character! So that`s that. Thanks again to the lovely LuSa. Hell, I cannot wait to see Jason, Alan and Tom again. And for the first time Gary Oldman, doesn`t he look promising as Sirius Black? 

**Disclaimer: **How could it be different? J.K Rowling rules!!! 

****

Facing demons 

She glared at him. Not only was he self-centered, no, he was looking at her as if she merly existed. Great, just great, Hermione thought. She pulled herself together, trying to forget at least for now all the prejudices about Draco Malfoy which kept running through her mind. "So, what is there, that you know about Ginny?" There was a long pause while they simply focused on on another, neither of them willing to shove away their dislike for the other one. At last Hermione spoke up: " Please, if you do know anything useful at all, tell me. You don`t know what it feels like when your best friend is missing and you are in absolute no position to do anything" . 

Hell, what did this woman know? Of course he knew what it feels like when you are absolutly helpless. Not only was he missing a friend, no, Ginny Weasley meant much more to him, though he would never admit that to anyone and for instance not to Hermione Granger. What did she know what it had cost him to realize that he needed help, that he could not do anything without the help of her, Hermione Granger. He had to be cooperative, not for his sake, but for her sake. 

"Alright, as you have probably already heard there are several rumors that Ginny has been captured by a couple of Death Eaters…" Hermione only nodded. "However" Draco continued "This is as I believe not the case. Ginny is not the only girl who is missing, there are about a dozen by now and they have one thing in common. All were or still are students from Hogwarts. Which means that there must be a connection…." He paused and looked out of the window. "I understand" said Hermione "but where do I come in? ". Silence. Suddenly Draco turned around and looked straight into Hermiones eyes. "We, that is Dumbledore and I". At that remark Draco saw that Hermione had taken a sharp intake of her breath. "Hell, yes Dumbledore and I, what do I need to do to proove to you that I am loyal to our cause? I know my father is a Death Eater and so you have all the right to believe: like father like son. However you must know Dumbledore trusts me." Draco paused, then he spoke again "like Snape". It is true, thought Hermione, Dumbledore trusted Snape and so did she. Somehow she always had looked up to him, in her eyes he was the bravest person in these days and the torture he must endure only let Hermione feel more compassionate towards him. "Alright" she met Dracos eyes on an equal level "proceed". He did not know why exactly, but he feeled relieved. 

_Darkness……complete Darkness surrounded her. There was no sound,no light. She was alone. She did not know who did this to her and moreover why. She tried to reach her hand out and feel something, anything, it did not matter to her what, but instead she felt nothing. The Void. For the first time in her life she was all alone with nobody to lean on. How can you cope with something you cannot see? Suddenly she had the urge to scream…..a piercing sound and yet there was no reaction. Absolutley nothing. She felt lost. _

"Since I have non of the qualification to teach and Dumbledore has no hope that whoever is responsible for this is going to run to him and confess, the only solution is…." "Oh no no no no, don`t tell me what I think what it is. You want me to teach at Hogwarts and gain the trust of this insane man, woman, creature, whatever?" "Yes, that is exactly what WE want of you!" He emphathized the word "We" so that she knew that Dumbledore was involved in this matter, too. Hermione reflected on that and after a while she realized, that this was only logical and that she could be useful in this case for the first time. Maybe she was still able to rescue Ginny and make everybody happy again, including Harry. 

"Alright. When shall I start and moreover what do you want me to teach?" That part was what left her the most curious. As far as she knew there was no need for a new professor, especially in those subjects she would be able to teach. 

A wave of relief washed through Draco, after all he did not make a mess out of it. His father always made him feel like this, like everything he is responsible for turned out to become a mess. Well, not this time father….. 

"Unfortunately or shall I say fortunatley Professor Snape is not able to manage all the work with his classes next year, so he will be able to share them with you" There was silence. Working with Snape…..not that it apalled her, no, but nevertheless she felt unsteady when she gave it a thought. "I assume that this was NOT Professor Snapes idea?" Draco looked at her, surprised, "No, it wasn`t, how did you know?" "Because Professor Snape does not come along to me as the person who asks for help. I even doubt he would accept help when he sees no other way out of the situation. What`s up with him? You must tell me." Why does she preoccupy herself with that matter, Draco asked himself. Infact that was, what Hermione asked herself right now, too. Why was she suddenly so concerned about Snapes well-being? " It is not in my disposition to tell you that, Professor Dumbledore will, or Snape himself for instance, when he thinks you should know it." She suddenly felt like she was slapped but tried not to let show it. "Alright, when do you expect me?" "Does that mean you are willing to do the job?" Malfoy regarded her hopefully. "Hell, yes, I am going to do it, if only for Ginny`s fate and all the others who are captured" Malfoy turned around, so that she could not see the relief which showed on his face. Maybe there was a chance to rescue Ginny after all. Maybe he was not that kind of a dunderhead. 

" We expect you in three days, at twelve o`clock, that should do to arrange everything" he muttered and without further comment left the room. 

Hermione stared after him, not yet realizing to what she had agreed to in a moment ago. She would return to Hogwarts. And not as a student, but as a teacher. She did not know why exactly, but somehow that gave her a great satisfaction. Moreover she was now Snapes equal, not that she had felt inferior to him before, but now she was an adult. 

Oh, this could be fun after all, she thought with a smirk on her face. 

"Headmaster, you wished to speak with me?" "That`s quite right Severus. I wanted to inform you, that I have finally found someone with the qualifications who will be able to teach Potions" Severus stared at Albus disbelievingly, normaly it took ages for the headmaster to find someone who is adequate. Well, what did it matter. Infact the sooner, the better, because he would have to face it anyway. Now, he only hoped that it was someone with whom he could at least get along, someone who would not disturb him. After a sharp intake of breath he pronounced the inevitable words: "Who is it then?" 

"Hermione Granger" 

**A/N**: I know I know, this is an evil cliffhanger, but I could not resist. I do not know yet, when the next chapter will be posted, but probably around the 1st of September. Until then, I hope that there will be a lot of reviews, because they keep me going. Tell me what you think so far. Shall I continue? 


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